I could also try anywhere else in the world. I am proud to be an American, but I think our government has really been crapping up lately. There is no need for the immense amount of taxing, the police brutality, racism, all of the hate groups still being around, unecissarily expensive warefare, the extreme amount of imprisonments, unfair housing establishments, unfair work oppurtunities for minorities, unfair treatment towards minorities and it goes on and on from there. We can do much better than this. When and where in the history of our country have you seen "one nation under God" and "all men are created equal" ever take place? Never. Not even today. If you're so blind to see that, maybe you're the one who needs the reality check?

My tip, try Europe out of "anywhere else in the world". No state in the European Union puts its citizens on death row because its considered barbaric. States who do this cannot join the Union. There is also no such extreme economic inequality as it is common in the US. Having one quarter of the population without basic health insurance is iconceivable in the EU. "Freedom" without equal chances is a hollow phrase, a license of the mighty to smash the weak, thereby violating their very basic interests. Immanuel Kant once described the law as "the liberty of one within the limits of the freedom of the other". Freedom without legal barriers to the might of the mighty and without active support for the weak will always produce injustice. In the US we now see again the opposite: tax cuts for the rich, enormous tax subsidies for big business, reducing the already meager support for the poor etc. Its time that Americans ask their leaders what they actually mean when they time and again talk of "freedom". There is no such thing as "freedom as such". Instead, its "whose freedom to do what?"

Yeah well, if it's so bad here, why do so many people try to get here by any means they can? No need to tell me about Europe. It's nice to visit, but nowhere can they light a match to what we have here. As far as governments "crapping up," is that new to you? That's been happening as long as there have been people in charge of making rules for other people. Taxes could be restrained by hundreds of different routes, one of which would be to halt the handouts to freeloaders, and elimination of benefits to those who create their own demise. Crack dealer gets shot - well, if his family can't do emergency surgery on him, then I guess it's too bad for him. There's probably a single mom out there who could use some medical benefits for her kid, give it to her. 3rd world country gloms off the USA for years and then decides it wants to support terrorists, cut them off at the knees and give that money to OUR people. Let the terrorists feed them. Make politicians become what they are - PUBLIC SERVANTS! A SERVANT should not be making tons of money, accepting gifts and being sucked up to. I think minimum wage would be good, and they can ride charter buses to and from Washington. And while they are in Washington, they can live in a barracks type accommodation. If it's good enough for soldiers, then by God it will be good enough for a senator. (Maybe they would get down to business then, and quit screwing around.) Police brutality would be curtailed just by simple respect for the law and law enforcement personnel. When you get some punk 14 year old lipping off to the cops, he needs to get knocked on his ass. If the cops didn't have to arrest the same vermin over and over again because of fools of the type that infest organizations like the ACLU, things would be different. If we enforced the laws we have now, we wouldn't have so many people in prison. The revolving door policy of criminal punishment is ludicrous. If you murder someone, you should never see the light of day again. Same for rape and pedophilia. Drink and drive - 10 years. Deal drugs - 20 years. Steal from your employees by lying on earnings reports and fudging taxes - guess what? You're the poor one because you lose everything to divide it up with those you screwed over. Start putting a real fear of wrongdoing into people and it'll get under control. As far as hate groups go, sheesh, you'd have to eliminate humans altogether to eliminate hate. As long as you have people who believe their race is better, their money makes them better, their god is better, you're gonna have hate. I haven't mentioned anything here that can't apply to Europe either. Everywhere has it's problems, no where are you gonna get anything handed to you on a plate. I don't doubt or question the freedom I have, and would die for. I do see the big picture. That's the benefit of having BOTH eyes open.

You're very right and your entire post is intelligent. No where is perfect, and I haven't said that American was or wasn't. I just think we can do much better than the state we are in right now.

You mention the prisons in europe as not having Death Row. But those same prisons treat prisoners as just that prisoners, they are not afforded 3 square meals a day, nor do they have such amenities as Proper sanitation, Free Education, Enough Room per cell, Proper lighting, etc. They still treat criminals as just that criminals. We here in the states treat criminals as mis-guided children, unless you fell on your head one too may times we all know the difference between right and wrong. Then why are there so many criminals here in the states? Europe doesn't have the same criminal element we do, take a hard look at, Do They have Drive By Shootings? Nope. They have Gang warfare? Nope. The criminal element in europe is not the same as it is here, you need to ask when our society is going to stop the Wild West side show we've displayed since Jesse James, although Jesse initially had a reason, went over board later. We need to start getting harsher on crime and criminals to put an end to all the violence. We could turn to vigilateism? that would be an interesting turn, but then you'd have neighbor killing neighbor. You need to re-think your this mode of thinking, we need to stop being nice to criminal and offer them fringe benefits for committing a crime

Hi, its LooKoo again, merbert was so kind to let me use his communication channel ;) Regarding Sully0001s "You mention the prisons in europe as not having Death Row. But those same prisons treat prisoners as just that prisoners, they are not afforded 3 square meals a day, nor do they have such amenities as Proper sanitation, Free Education, Enough Room per cell, Proper lighting, etc. They still treat criminals as just that criminals." Where the heck did you learn that again? I guess you are simply using "Europe" here as a backdrop for an allegedly to leniant treatment of prisoners in the US. I have to disappoint you: states in the EU Do give prisoners three meals a day, proper sanitation and education. If you disapprove of that, third world countries may be more to your liking. Enough room per cell turns sometimes out to be a problem because prisons tend to get overcrowded in Europe, too. As to "free education", that's the key for a better life without crime. Simply locking people away for many years is not only inhuman but also a perfect recipe for having those people starting to commit crimes again after release.I also dont understand what you mean with "being nice to criminals and offer them fringe benefits for committing a crime". If you lock someone away for 20 years and don`t offer him some kind of education, what do you expect him to do once he's out again? I think America has to rethink some other things: it's worship of violence, its abundancy of firearms (the right to bear arms was amended with reference to the militias engaged in exterminating the Native Americans, the final solution of the Indian question has been accomplished a century ago, the violence and mindless killing goes on). And face it, violent crimes are also a result of social problems when entire district slump into decay and despair and crime becomes one of the few options for youngsters.

I agree with you merbert, but we give way to much to prisoners. Television? Rec rooms to get stronger in mind and body to be able to commit crimes easier? Large cells? I don't know. I think we're way too lenient. Sure, and education is manditory for prisoners, but the rest sure as hell isn't.